A Lincoln man, armed with a handgun holstered on his hip, showed up at a Lincoln City Council meeting to make a point about gun laws.

It was perfectly legal.

Tim Tyrrell Sr. showed up with the loaded .40-caliber Glock semiautomatic at Monday's council meeting as a visual argument against an ordinance that would outlaw concealed weapons.

The council has barred cell phones at its meetings, but not weapons. There are no metal detectors outside the council chambers or signs that tell people to leave their guns, knives, and other weapons outside.

The legislature has approved a law that will make it legal to carry concealed weapons in Nebraska as of January.

Lincoln Mayor Coleen Seng wants concealed weapons barred from the city and she has proposed an ordinance to exempt Lincoln from the new state law.

Tyrrell, who had informed the police chief that he'd be armed at the council meeting on Monday, says the proposed Lincoln ban wouldn't keep people from carrying around unconcealed weapons.

"The people that the mayor is worried about are already carrying, and they're not gonna stop," he said.

The chief, Tom Casady, backs the mayor's proposal and doesn't like the idea of armed people attending council meetings. But, Casady said, if people are going to bring guns to meetings, "I'd rather have it out where I can see it."

The council took no testimony on the mayor's proposal Monday but has scheduled a public hearing for July 31.